1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an extendable folding saw that is lightweight and compact when retracted yet rigid when extended.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several cutting products have been developed over the years. Some are designed for use as folding saws, and others for use as extending saws. Some examples of currently available products include:
Gerber makes an extendable pruner under the name Tele-Cutter. This pruner has a telescoping extension pole. Yet, the blade does not retract into a handle, which can limit the safety of the device when not in use.
Trail Blazer makes a saw called Xtend-A-Saw. This item features a handle with a socket for threadably receiving the end of an extension pole. The extension pole is not shown to be retractable. As such, the ability to transport this tool is limited, and is not possible to store in a day bag when not in use.
Buckwing Products, Inc. makes an extension saw and pruner. This product measures 21 inches when folded up.
Gowayout.com sells a saw that is comprised of three pieces, a saw, a trimmer and a pole. The pole does not connect directly to the saw, but rather to the trimmer.
Stoney Point makes a pole saw for use with a PoleCat Monopod.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,642 to Templeton is titled Compact Pruning Saw. This patent shows a telescoping series of coaxial nested tubes that extend to provide an elongated handle. Each inner tube has a back end with a gradual conical flare. At full extension, the tube stops bind against each other, and screws and clamps are explicitly taught to be unnecessary. A saw blade with a threaded end is fitted into a threaded fitting on the end of the innermost tube. While this product may work well for its intended purposes, it is not without some drawbacks. First, there is no way to lock segments in place intermediate a fully extended and the fully retracted positions. Also, there is no way to use the present invention as a hand saw or folding saw.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,653 to Skyba is titled Tree Saw with Extension Attachment. This patent teaches that a tree saw uses a flexible sapling or tree limb as a handle extension to permit a person to cut tree branches beyond his normal reach. One drawback with this invention is that its use is dependant upon the location of a suitable flexible sapling or tree limb. Further, the destruction of a sapling or tree limb can unnecessary take a toll on the environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,481 to Yost is titled Pocket Hand Saw. This invention describes a water tight compartment for storing the blade when not in use. While this invention may be useful for its intended purpose, it does not show the use of an extension.
All of these products may all work well for their intended purposes. Yet, none of them shows an extension saw that is compactable to approximately 12 inches or less.
None of the above-products are designed for storage or transport in a side-by-side connected manner.
None of the above-products utilize a generally I beam design to increase the strength to weight ratio.
None of the above-products has a snap fitting and direct connection between the pole and the saw.
Thus there exists a need for an extendable folding saw that solves these and other problems.